welcome to newsday. reporting live from singapore, i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines. there's a record low turnout in the first legislative elections in hong kong since china tightened control. we speak to democracy campaigner nathan law. netherlands starts a tough new lockdown, as the new coronavirus variant spreads fast across europe. a victory for the hard—left candidate in chile's most polarising election ever. and tennis star emma raducanu wins the bbc�*s prestigious sports personality of the year. live from our studio in singapore... this is bbc news. it's newsday.

welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in the uk and around the world. counting is under way in the first elections in hong kong since beijing increased its control over the territory. turnout has officially been announced as the lowest ever in its electoral history — just 30.2%. pro—democracy activists called for a boycott because every candidate had to be vetted for their loyalty to beijing. almost all prominent opposition figures who could have taken part have either been jailed or have fled. for more on this, i'm joined now by nathan law, a hong kong pro—democracy campaigner who now lives in the uk where he has political asylum. it's wonderful to have you on the programme, nathan. ijust want to start by reminding viewers that you

ran as a pro—democracy candidate in 2016, and you won at that time. it was a very emotionally charged election in hong kong in 2016. when you look at the election today, what does it make you think about the state of democracy in hong kong? in 2016, i won, state of democracy in hong kong? in 2016, iwon, but back state of democracy in hong kong? in 2016, i won, but back then, the composition of the legislature was about half the seats through a reelection. people could feel the weight of their vote, and the vetting process was not as stuffy as now. we look back to the election earlier this year, it decreased the seats for the reelection for the total number two less than a quarter, and they've introduced the vetting process. candidates have to be vetted by the police. basically, we are in a sentiment of boycotts.

if you look at the streets, there are just no sentiments. people are not discussing about which candidates are better and how they will push forward. the only thing you could see was the government advertising people to vote, but no one is answering that. you now have the lowest turnout ever, and that's because people just don't want to come to this election and they want to show that they have discontent, they do not agree with this overhaul. they do not agree with this overhaul-— they do not agree with this overhaul. , ., ., , overhaul. indeed. i 'ust want to put to ou overhaul. indeed. i 'ust want to put to you however — overhaul. indeed. i 'ust want to put to you however the — overhaul. indeed. ijust want to put to you however the other— overhaul. indeed. ijust want to put to you however the other side, - overhaul. indeed. ijust want to putj to you however the other side, with officials in hong kong saying that actually, the low turnout is because voters are happy and they want stability, and in fact, many in the business community i've talked to have said that half of the process have said that half of the process have ended because they were so

chaotic. it’s have ended because they were so chaotic. �* , ,., have ended because they were so chaotic. �*, ., ,, ., chaotic. it's so absurd how the government — chaotic. it's so absurd how the government is _ chaotic. it's so absurd how the government is making - chaotic. it's so absurd how the government is making these l chaotic. it's so absurd how the - government is making these excuses to explain what is happening. 0n the one hand, they have been mobilising all the resources during the largest ever campaign of advertising people to vote. and when they first see that people not going to vote because they don't like the government, and they came out and said because they are satisfied with the government, it's not consistent and it's easy for us to look at... they all show the same reality, which people are not voting because they don't agree with the election. they just feel like the they don't agree with the election. theyjust feel like the election has no meaningful position for them when the candidates are all in jailed or being barred from running. where does hon: being barred from running. where does hong kong _ being barred from running. where does hong kong go _ being barred from running. where does hong kong go from - being barred from running. where does hong kong go from here, . being barred from running. where does hong kong go from here, given what you'vejust does hong kong go from here, given what you've just described? how do

citizens interact with their government?— citizens interact with their government? citizens interact with their covernment? ., ., government? well, it's clear that the government _ government? well, it's clear that the government mobilised - government? well, it's clear that the government mobilised all - government? well, it's clear that - the government mobilised all power. they have all the 90 legislators in the legislature. for people, it's definitely a reality that they must face, which is the government is completely dominant now. but on the other hand, we can also see people are actually passively resisting. the government always advertised that after the implement of national security law, people would fall in love with the government, basically. but as we can see, even though they cannot protest on the street, they are using the right of boycotting the election to passively resist the government's narrative. this is one thing that we can see, the spirit of resistant in hong kong. being able

to express them through protest. what other way do you see that spirit of resistance you're talking about appearing or being displayed in hong kong?— about appearing or being displayed in hon: kona ? ., ., ., in hong kong? other than not voting, there are lots — in hong kong? other than not voting, there are lots of _ in hong kong? other than not voting, there are lots of different _ in hong kong? other than not voting, there are lots of different things - there are lots of different things that people are doing. for example, supporting political christmas, to show their support and doing a lot of legal work. show their support and doing a lot of legalwork. building show their support and doing a lot of legal work. building up public networks, trying to book organise reading groups. these are the times people live in. still remain a public life, and i think that is crucialfor public life, and i think that is crucial for today's hong public life, and i think that is crucialfor today's hong kong. nathan law, thank you forjoining us.

in other headlines — several european countries have introduced tough new restrictions to tackle covid as the 0micron variant spreads rapidly across the continent. a month long lockdown has come into force in the netherlands and several other countries look set for tough new measures as we head towards christmas. the number of 0micron cases is doubling in one and a half to three days in areas with community transmission, according to the world health organisation. in germany, government advisors have urged fresh measures to fight the surge in the 0micron variant. ireland, switzerland and denmark are all stepping up restrictions. there have been protests, however, with belgium, spain and italy among the countries seeing demonstrations. our first report is from anna holligan on the start of the netherlands lockdown. virtually silent high streets. it's online and window shopping only this year. last christmas, the dutch thought the pandemic would be over by now. instead, the netherlands has become the first country in europe to shut down in response to the

rapidly spreading 0micron variant. now, it feels like it's starting all over again, to be isolated and, yeah... it feels really bad. because we're used to going to the cafe, to a bar, and with this lockdown, it's impacted me a bit. so, yeah, it's going to be difficult. george is a chef. so, tomorrow, i'm working just to throw away a lot - of fresh food, lots of... basically, everything - that we can't sell any more. so, that's...uh... the dutch prime minister described this lockdown as an unavoidable response to 0micron. across the border in germany, most travellers from britain are now banned from entering the country to try to halt to the transmission of 0micron. german nationals and residents will still be allowed to arrive from the uk but must have a negative test and quarantine for two weeks, regardless of their vaccination status.

france has already introduced similar restrictions to try to cut covid cases crossing the channel. in denmark, which has registered more 0micron cases than any other european country, apart from britain, theatres, cinemas and amusement parks will be closed for the next month. and in belgium, thousands paraded through the capital, brussels, to demonstrate their discontent with the compulsory covid access passes that must be shown in bars and restaurants. and right across the continent, coming together this christmas will be harder and riskier than anyone would have wished. for now, the uk is holding back on tightening the measures, but in the face of record—breaking infection rates, the health secretary has refused to rule anything out. anna holligan, bbc news, in the hague. let's take a look at some of the stories in the headlines in the uk. the uk's health secretary says he can't rule out further covid restrictions in england. sajid javid urged everyone to be cautious in the run up to christmas. more than 82,000 coronavirus cases have been reported

in the latest 24—hour period. the 0micron variant is already the dominant strain in both england and scotland. it's a very sobering analysis. we take it very seriously. as i said, there are gaps in the data and scientists recognise that — for example, on severity, on hospitalisations. but we'll look at the data, we'll take into account other factors and then decide whether further action is needed or not. you know, if you wait until data is absolutely perfect, it may well be too late, and i think that's the essential point they're making. the uk's foreign secretary, liz truss, is to become the uk's lead negotiator with the eu in post—brexit talks. she will continue to run the foreign office alongside her new role leading the negotiations over the northern ireland protocol. ms truss's appointment follows the resignation of the brexit minister lord frost. in the us, president biden's

flagship piece of legislation — known as build back better — looks in deep trouble after a key senatorfrom his own democratic party said he wouldn't support it. senatorjoe manchin, who represents the conservative state of west virginia, told fox news he'd tried to reach a compromise on the multi—billion—dollar bill. the finely balanced composition of the senate means president biden cannot afford to lose a single democratic vote. 0ur correspondent in washington, nomia iqbal, has the latest on the senator's statement. this is his top domestic policy priority. this is the cornerstone of his legislative agenda. it's this use and social spreading bill which involves programmes that fought climate change, as well as boosting health care subsidies, giving free child health care, parental leave — you name it. and no republican facts

of this bill because they believe they will basically make inflation even worse. it will hurt the economy. president biden has had to rely on pretty much all the support of his democratic party members because the democratic party has a very narrow hold in the senate. senatorjoe manchen has been a key hold out throughout. he said hejust does not like the size of this bill, he's worried about the impact of it, and he president biden have been negotiated for lunch now —— months now. but he did that in the hope that eventually, he could secure his vote, and now he's come out to say that he will not support it. and because no republican will back this bill, mr mansion has become this very powerfulfigure that bill, mr mansion has become this very powerful figure that i think he will not vote on it, it pretty much means that this bill could sink.

having said that, ijust want to give you a reaction from the white white house. the press secretary released a very long statement. really rebutting a lot ofjoe manchen because my criticisms. this is at odds with the discussions senators were having at the president. they end the statement by saying that this bill is important... his fight continues into the new year. earlier this week, mr biden and congressional democrats had already indicated that they would delay the vote until next year. something we will be watching very closely. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme...

the bbc�*s prestigious sports personality of the year goes to mi raducanu. we have her reaction. the world of music's been paying tribute to george michael, who's died from suspected heart failure at the age of 53. he sold well over 100 million albums in a career spanning more than three decades. the united states troops who've been trying to overthrow the dictatorship of general manuel noriega. the pentagon said it's failed in its principal objective — to capture noriega and take him to the united states to face drugs charges. a hammer and sickle was hastily taken away. in its place, the russian flag was hoisted over what is now no longer the soviet union, but the commonwealth of independent states. day broke slowly over - lockerbie over the cockpit of pan am's maid of the seas, nose down in the soft earth. l you could see what happens when a plane eight stories high, a football pitch wide, falls from 30,000 feet. christmas has returned to albania after a communist ban lasting

more than 20 years. thousands went on to midnight mass in the town of shkoder, where there were anti—communist rights ten days ago. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm karishma vaswani in singapore. our main story today: there's been a record low turnout in the first general elections in hong kong since china tightened control. netherlands is starting a tough new lockdown, as the new coronavirus variant spreads fast across europe. —— legislative elections. i want to bring you a special report now from myanmar. the united nations says the myanmar military�*s oppression since it seized power in a coup on the 1st of february points to crimes against humanity. a bbc investigation has revealed the details of a series of mass killings of civilians by the myanmar military. four villages in kani township

in central myanmar were targeted over a period of weeks injuly. this report by rebecca henschke contains some distressing images from the start. this girl is grieving over her grandfather's body. it's distressing to see. there are clear signs of torture. in the myanmar military, she fled. her grandfather stayed. believing his age would protect him. more bodies were uncovered close to where her grandfather was found. 12 in total. some were buried in

shallow mass graves. the military carried out the mass killings in four villages, a region that's been a stronghold of opposition to the military regime. indian village,14 opposition to the military regime. indian village, 14 people were killed. we have blurred their bodies as they're too gruesome to show. the man filming finds people he knows. a great risk our team interviewed a number of eyewitnesses. their safety, we're hiding their identity. their stories are all similar.

translation: they split us into groups of men and women. men were tied up with ropes and beaten. we couldn't stand to watch it, so we kept our heads down crying. we beg them not to, they didn't care. they took away everything from us. they asked the women, "is your husband among them, is he is, do your last rites." this man managed — is he is, do your last rites." this man managed to _ is he is, do your last rites." this man managed to escape. translation: ii man managed to escape. translation: 11 others were arrested with me. they— 11 others were arrested with me. they were — 11 others were arrested with me. they were tied up, beaten with stones— they were tied up, beaten with stones and rifle butts portal all day~ _ stones and rifle butts portal all day~ |— stones and rifle butts portal all da . , ., . ., day. i put out evidence to the spokesperson. _ day. i put out evidence to the spokesperson. translation i day. i put out evidence to the i spokesperson. translation mike day. i put out evidence to the - spokesperson. translation mike i'm not denying that incidents such as this could — not denying that incidents such as this could happen. _ not denying that incidents such as this could happen. it _ not denying that incidents such as this could happen. it can- not denying that incidents such as this could happen. it can happen. | this could happen. it can happen. when _ this could happen. it can happen. when they— this could happen. it can happen. when they treat _ this could happen. it can happen. when they treat us _ this could happen. it can happen. when they treat us as _ this could happen. it can happen. when they treat us as enemies . this could happen. it can happen. i when they treat us as enemies and open _ when they treat us as enemies and open fire _ when they treat us as enemies and open fire on— when they treat us as enemies and open fire on us, _ when they treat us as enemies and open fire on us, we_ when they treat us as enemies and open fire on us, we have the - when they treat us as enemies and open fire on us, we have the right. open fire on us, we have the right to defend — open fire on us, we have the right to defend ourselves. _

open fire on us, we have the right to defend ourselves. the - open fire on us, we have the right to defend ourselves.— to defend ourselves. the united nations is investigating - to defend ourselves. the united nations is investigating the - to defend ourselves. the united| nations is investigating the mass killings. in the hope that future generations, those left behind, i will get some kind ofjustice. rebecca henschke, bbc news. let's take a look at some other stories in the headlines. at least 169 people have reportedly died after a powerful storm struck the philippines on thursday. super typhoon rai saw some 300,000 people displaced when it hit the country's south—eastern islands. rescue teams have described �*some areas looked like they were bombed worse than world war two'. more than 100 people have reportedly been injured in protests in sudan. that's according the country's health ministry. authorities fired tear gas at protesters outside the presidential palace in the capital khartoum, as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across the nation to denounce the military. the protests marked the third anniversary of protests that led

to the overthrow of omar al—bashir. there have been protests in more than 100 polish towns and cities — against a controversial bill that both the us and the european union say would restrict media freedom. many fear that the government will use the legislation, which was unexpectedly passed by parliament on friday, to silence one of its fiercest critics — the us—owned private broadcaster, tvn. police in australia say a sixth child has died as a result of an accident with a bouncy castle in tasmania. the 11—year—old boy was among a group of children who fell about ten metres when the inflatable structure was lifted off the ground by a gust of wind. they'd been celebrating at an end—of—term school party. gabriel boric, the leftist candidate in the chilean election, has won the presidency after his far—right rival,

jose antonio kast, conceded defeat. it was labelled the most polarised election in the country's history, with voters choosing between a left—wing former student activist and a lawyer who admired the dictatorship of augusto pinochet. chile has seen widespread protests in the past two years, amidst economic instability and growing inequality. katy watson reports. in his closing rally, jose antonio kast stuck to his well—trodden narrative. that chile will never be ruled by communists. it's an inaccurate slight against his rival but a fear many people have in santiago's wealthier neighbourhoods. this is the man he's talking about. this is the man he's talking about — gabriel boric, a former protest leader and activist turned politician whose coalition includes the communist party. we don't have to be afraid of the organisation of the people. we have to learn from history, not to do it again, not to repeat it.

these elections have revived the ghost of chile's past, that the left is communist, the right fascist. and kast has been hit by recent revelations that his father was a member of hitler's nazi party. he also talked fondly general pinochet, a man responsible for thousands of deaths and disappearances during chile's dictatorship during the �*70s and �*80s. a man the uk has history with. in 1998, he was detained in london on murder charges and subsequently visited by his friend, margaret thatcher. two years ago, a rise in the cost of transport sparked protests and wider calls for change. the legacy of the dictatorship may have been a stable economy but one have been a stable economy, but one that failed to benefit everyone. this has always been the focal point for the protests, but they weren't just about a 30 peso rise in the price of an underground ticket. that's 3p. but it was bigger than that. it was 30 years of indifference, of inequalities for millions

of people here, and these elections are about building a different future. much of boric�*s support base comes from those who have been excluded the most. translation: we have to change. we don't want to live in a repressive world. we have already done that. we don't want to go back 30 years. but gonzalo pinochet, a distant cousin of the former dictator, disagrees. i think that populism is something really, i really bad that's been happening in our continent. _ i the dictatorship is part of our. history and we cannot deny that. but now, we are in 2021. these elections have pushed people to choose extremes, the side they feel the least. but for plenty of chileans, neither candidate represents them. the winner will have a challenge to unite this country. katy watson, bbc news, in santiago. the tennis player emma raducanu has been voted bbc

sports personality of the year. the 19—year—old, who won the us open in september, is the first female tennis player to win the trophy since virginia wade in 1977. though she couldn't attend in person, as she's isolating in abu dhabi after testing positive for covid—19, raducanu said winning the public vote capped a remarkable year. this is always a very big moment. laura, can you please tell us who the winner is?— laura, can you please tell us who the winner is? the 2021 bbc sports ersonali the winner is? the 2021 bbc sports personality of _ the winner is? the 2021 bbc sports personality of the _ the winner is? the 2021 bbc sports personality of the year _ the winner is? the 2021 bbc sports personality of the year is _ the winner is? the 2021 bbc sports personality of the year is emma - personality of the year is emma raducanu _ personality of the year is emma raducanm— raducanu. cheering thank you. _ raducanu. cheering thank you. it's - raducanu. cheering thank you. it's such l raducanu. cheering | thank you. it's such an raducanu. cheering - thank you. it's such an honour raducanu. cheering _ thank you. it's such an honourjust to be _ thank you. it's such an honourjust to be amongst— thank you. it's such an honourjust to be amongst these _ thank you. it's such an honourjust to be amongst these nominees, i thank you. it's such an honourjust. to be amongst these nominees, and congrats _ to be amongst these nominees, and congrats to— to be amongst these nominees, and congrats to you _ to be amongst these nominees, and congrats to you for _ to be amongst these nominees, and congrats to you for all _ to be amongst these nominees, and congrats to you for all your- congrats to you for all your achievements. _ congrats to you for all your achievements. i— congrats to you for all your achievements. i am - congrats to you for all your achievements. lam reallyl congrats to you for all your- achievements. i am really happy congrats to you for all your— achievements. i am really happy with this, of— achievements. i am really happy with this, of course, — achievements. i am really happy with this, of course, and _ achievements. i am really happy with this, of course, and i've _ achievements. i am really happy with this, of course, and i've watched - this, of course, and i've watched sports _ this, of course, and i've watched sports personality _ this, of course, and i've watched sports personality of— this, of course, and i've watched sports personality of their - this, of course, and i've watched i sports personality of their growing up, so _ sports personality of their growing up. so i'm —

sports personality of their growing op. so i'm really— sports personality of their growing up, so i'm really humbled - sports personality of their growing up, so i'm really humbled to- sports personality of their growing up, so i'm really humbled tojoini up, so i'm really humbled tojoin the amazing _ up, so i'm really humbled tojoin the amazing cast _ up, so i'm really humbled tojoin the amazing cast of _ up, so i'm really humbled tojoin the amazing cast of winners. - up, so i'm really humbled tojoin the amazing cast of winners. i'mj the amazing cast of winners. i'm also _ the amazing cast of winners. i'm also very— the amazing cast of winners. i'm also very happy— the amazing cast of winners. i'm also very happy for— the amazing cast of winners. i'm also very happy for reddish - the amazing cast of winners. i'm . also very happy for reddish tennis, that we _ also very happy for reddish tennis, that we managed _ also very happy for reddish tennis, that we managed to _ also very happy for reddish tennis, that we managed to get _ also very happy for reddish tennis, that we managed to get this - also very happy for reddish tennis, that we managed to get this award again— that we managed to get this award again -- _ that we managed to get this award again -- british _ that we managed to get this award again —— british tennis. _ that we managed to get this award again —— british tennis. thank- that we managed to get this award again —— british tennis. thank youi again —— british tennis. thank you so much _ again —— british tennis. thank you so much to— again —— british tennis. thank you so much to all— again —— british tennis. thank you so much to all the _ again —— british tennis. thank you so much to all the voters - again —— british tennis. thank you so much to all the voters and - again —— british tennis. thank you so much to all the voters and all. again —— british tennis. thank youl so much to all the voters and all of the fans— so much to all the voters and all of the fans and — so much to all the voters and all of the fans and support _ so much to all the voters and all of the fans and support i _ so much to all the voters and all of the fans and support i received - the fans and support i received this past yeah — the fans and support i received this past year~ it's— the fans and support i received this past year. it's been _ the fans and support i received this past year. it's been absolutely- past year. it's been absolutely insane, — past year. it's been absolutely insane, especially— past year. it's been absolutely insane, especially the - past year. it's been absolutely insane, especially the energyl past year. it's been absolutely- insane, especially the energy that i felt at _ insane, especially the energy that i felt at wimbledon _ insane, especially the energy that i felt at wimbledon this _ insane, especially the energy that i felt at wimbledon this year, - insane, especially the energy that i| felt at wimbledon this year, playing in front— felt at wimbledon this year, playing in front of— felt at wimbledon this year, playing in front of my — felt at wimbledon this year, playing in front of my home _ felt at wimbledon this year, playing in front of my home crowd. - felt at wimbledon this year, playing in front of my home crowd. that - felt at wimbledon this year, playing i in front of my home crowd. that was something _ in front of my home crowd. that was something that — in front of my home crowd. that was something that i've _ in front of my home crowd. that was something that i've never— in front of my home crowd. that was something that i've never felt- something that i've never felt before, — something that i've never felt before, so— something that i've never felt before, so thank— something that i've never felt before, so thank you - something that i've never felt before, so thank you very- something that i've never felt. before, so thank you very much. something that i've never felt before, so thank you very much. emma raducanu there. _ before, so thank you very much. emma raducanu there. very _ before, so thank you very much. emma raducanu there. very excited, - raducanu there. very excited, rightly so. a new sport is gaining popularity among russians, and it involves wrestling inside a car. the first ever "car jitsu" competition has just been held in moscow, inspired by the popular brazilian martial art, jiu—jitsu. the match lasts for two rounds, with each athlete starting the round either on the driver's or the passenger's seat. the points are awarded for submission or gaining an advantageous position.

that's it from us. thanks so much for watching, and do stay with bbc news. hello there. there are some significant changes on the way over the weekend had as we get closer to christmas. it's going to be low pressure shaping our weather, bringing with it some cloud and rain from the atlantic and lifting the temperatures as well. there is still the chance of some cool snow, and it looks more likely to be in scotland for a while. we start monday with the coldest weather in scotland with the coldest weather in scotland with the clear skies and a frost. more cloud pushing into other areas, and the mist and fog will continue to lift. as the cloud lifts, it thins in the skies be brighter. there'll be more cloud northwest england and wales than we had on sunday, so not going to reach the 15 degrees that

we had in pembrokeshire. i think 6-8 we had in pembrokeshire. i think 6—8 will be nearer the mark. high pressure still have a close to the uk. it is starting to reseed, but we will probably have clear skies as we move into tuesday morning. i will be a bit more blue on the chart. the greater chance of having some frost across england and wales. —— probably will be. more cloud continues to affect northern ireland, and in scotland, it's probably going to turn more cloudy more widely. there could be a bit of light rain or drizzle as well. the winds are still light, but it's quite a cold day on tuesday. 0nly winds are still light, but it's quite a cold day on tuesday. only 4 degrees through the central belt of scotland. seven and the southeast of england. we really set things up for the middle part of the week as that big area of low pressure's filling the atlantic. pressure is falling, these bands of rain spiralling around the area. we start cold and

frosty on wednesday. in the west, it's cloudy over more quickly. it's getting better as well. we're likely to find some snow for a while, particularly in scotland. especially over the hills. still a lot to play for from wednesday onwards with that low in the atlantic trying to push in this milderair low in the atlantic trying to push in this milder air in from the southwest, but there is still that block of colder air in the north. that colder air looks further north. with the chance of some rain at

hello. this is bbc news. we'll be taking a look at tomorrow morning's papers in a moment. first the headlines: the health secretary refuses to rule out tighter covid restrictions and says people should cautious in their social mixing. foreign secretary liz truss will replace lord frost as the uk's lead negotiator with the eu in post—brexit talks following his resignation. in hong kong, a record low turnout in the first elections since china tightened control. a victory for the hard — left candidate in chile's most polarising election ever.